Darfur Union in the UK: the Prosecution of our People through out Sudan by the GoS will never Deter The Masses from Pursuing Justice – The killing of Student Awad Allah Abbaker Adam; Invasion of IDP camp South Zalingei, Central Darfur

The government of Sudan (GoS) has claimed peace and stability in the Darfur ‘are in place’ and has declared that the ‘war is over’. This lie was sold to the international community and under this banner the deployment of the Janjaweed militia/Rapid Speed Force in Darfur (as the main GoS force) was for the first time officially announced under the direct command of the Chief of Staff Omer Bashir, and their leader the criminal Hemiti was made to answer to Bashir and Bashir only. Since that day, our people in the region were under more persecution, and they were suffering from ethnic cleansing as the GoS tried all the methods to wipe them from the face of the earth:-

a) The use of chemical weapon in west Darfur (ref. 1)

b) Attacks on IDPs and villages, and the constant thread by officials to dismantle IDP camps in DARFUR (the latest been the statement from Governor of South Darfur Adam El-Fakki regarding the government of Sudan, GoS, plan to dismantle one of the largest IDP camps in DARFUR, Kalma, by force. He claimed that the image of the camp is not a good one and it does not reflect the vision GoS have for the region. The aforementioned will be done with out justice or peace). The proceution of the marginalized person have extended beyond DARFUR, Blue Nike State and South Kordofan, only two days ago, 26th April 2018, in the El Gezira State, a camp for workers, most of whom belong to DARFUR region by origin was entirely burned and the government machines moved in to dismantle the remains for the area because the officials and their cronies are after the land (ref. 8).

c) Raping of the women and minors (ref. 2)

Torture of students in and outside the region , and the latest

d) Unlawful imprisonment

e) Force displacement of the masses by terrorising their existence

f) Demographic changes in the region (ref. 3)

g) the mysterious killing of Awad Allah Abbaker Adam, a student and the head of Wadi Salih Students Association. He was killed on Thursday 17th May 2018 and his body was found in in the Yarmouk district in the southern part of Khartoum. His was an activist and the manner of crime point the finger at the government militias that roam the universities and target anyone who dare to speak against injustice and oppression inflected by the regime on the civilians of Sudan.

h) Rapid Speed Force have forced entered the Khamsa Dagied IDP camp, south Zalingei, Central Darfur on Monday 21st May 2018. The militia is often execute such order of their commanders to spear fear in the area and to search for activists in IDP camps, in addition to looting the belongs of the deprived IDP camps residents. As a result of their latest invasion, live ammunitions were fired and one person was killed and several were injuries.

Dead:-

1. Magbola Jar Elnabi – 22 years old

Injured :-

1. Magdi Mohammed Hamid – 22 years old

2. Abdel Alazim Suliman Mohammed – 29 years old

3. Amira Abdel Wahab Mohammed Adam – 16 years old

4. Um Zohour Gim Elseed – 30 years Old

5. Ezz Eldeen Haroun Adam Sangal – 81 years old

6. Mohammed Adam Mohammed Omer – 24 years Old

7. Anas Mohammed Ahmed – 12 years old

8. Salah Hassan Ali Khalil – 12 years old

9. Ibrahim Abdel Wahab Mohammed Adam – 20 years

10. Aisha Abdel Allah Siddig Gifa – 28 years

On the other hand the false convictions of NEVER AGAIN keep giving as the GoS has become the frontline force of Europe with regards of tackling migration from the Horn of Africa (ref. 6), where violation human rights is the common theme since the troops chosen to deal with the migrants crossing Sudan are the same ones committing genocide in DARFUR. So go figure.

As mentioned before in previous Darfur Union Correspondence, the regime is working day and night to execute their plan “b” for dealing with the situation in Darfur. The execution of the plan is an on-going, and it has now surfaced after Al-Bashir government managed to gather the precursors of their ultimate final product. The following steps are not listed in a chronologically order.

1. Masterminding and orchestrating a vicious war in the Province

2. Impoverishment and systematic marginalisation of the Province

3. Committing crimes such as genocide and ethnic cleansing, plus promotion of fear to act as a deterrent against people in the region

4. Create divisions between the fabrics that make the Darfur community.

5. Mass enforced displacement of the original/ native population

6. Geographical division of the Province (three to five, as of Jan 2016)

7. From 2014-2018 a new waves of attacks across the region, after the government reform the Janjaweed and the Border Control militias under one umbrella. This new unit is known as the Rapid Speed Force (RSF). It is a notorious group known for committing crimes such as mass rape and killing against the civilians. This group has somewhat replaced the army and police and it operates above any existing laws and rules.

8. Dismantlement of the IDP camps across Darfur is one of the main objectives of the regime. As the existence of IDP camps acts as an evidence for all the atrocities committed by Bashir and his pro government militias.

9. Introducing demographic changes in the Province, where the pro government personals, brought to fight the war, will be rewarded with lands which were cleared by enforced displacement of the native residents.

This is a direct violation of IDP human rights and it signals the failures of the international community to apply pressure on Bashir regime to stop the aggression against the people of Sudan in Darfur. GoS ultimate aim is to displace the native population and subsequently cause a forced demographic change in the region.

The accumulation of crimes over the last 14 years have lead to the indictment of the only sitting president in the world, Bashir, by the international criminal court (ICC, ref. 7), and the criminal is still at large.

Darfur Union in the UK among other civil society organisations plea to the UK government, US and EU and other major players in the international community to continue their efforts to end the suffering of our people by addressing the following:

Darfur Union in the United Kingdom calls upon the international community to put pressure on the government of Sudan to stop targeting the civilian population of Darfur. To stop dismantling IDP camps there without an proper plan that ought to protect the rights of the people. We also appeal to Amnesty international and Human Right Watch to raise the case of the kidnapped persons and to document their cases, as this tend to guarantee them being alive in custody.

The peace process and negotiations needs an independent mediator. We ask major players (US, UK and EU) to be part of the process given Britain’s historic ties with Sudanand due to the current mediators seeming bias towards protecting dictatorships in the region.

We ask the international community to continue its support of the international criminal court and also should push countries not to receive President Bashir for visits. The UK should also urge the ICC to amend arrest warrants in light of recent atrocities and consider advocating for expansion of the mandate to include atrocities committed in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and other parts of Sudan.

Darfur Union in the UK is a civil body and an advocate of peace (true peace that is aligned with justice for the victims) and uses the stand to call upon all the parties to exercise restrain and to end the war now. Also the union calls the international community to make sure the GoS is not prosecuting the POW and to put pressure on the government to treat the POW according the Geneva Convention 1949 (Article 60 – The Treatment of Prisoners of War, ref.4)

The track record of the GoS and POW is not a good one since the days of the war waged by the Bashir against the people of the then the South, to the days of May 2008 and 2015 when POW were killed in South Darfur in captivity at the hands of GoS militias.

Also the union call upon the international community and the UNAMID forces on the ground to protect the civilians of the region, as the GoS and their militias tend to justify more heinous actions and retaliation especially after they suffered diplomatic humiliation after the de-invite of Bashir to the U.S.-Islamic World Forum on the back of the statement issued by the US Embassy in Khartoum (ref. 5). GoS continues to harbour terrorists and also it provides access and route for radicalised individuals from EU and other part of the world to reach the shores of ISIS (ref. 6).

Darfur Union in the UK – Women’s International Day – You are a Mairam and an Ummo

The 8th March is yet another important calendar date. A day to reflect on the trait of constant giving. It is a day to remember those who in spite of all life’s difficulties are able to rise above the challenges. A day to celebrate the achievement of women through out history in all sectors. A day to recognise the hidden issues that hold women back from pursuing their dreams and goals. A day to celebrate those courageous women of all ages who are fighting injustice and are advocates of human rights. A day to remember the women living in war torn areas, in IDP and refugees camps. Those who face harassment, imprisonment, torture, FGM, rape and killing. A day to celebrate the promoters of women rights and those who raise their voices to seek equal rights for their sisters, daughters, friends and loved ones. A day to remember the women victims of Bashir crimes in Sudan in Darfur and beyond; the victims of systematic rape in Taweela and Tabit. A day to celebrate the high achieving women, in all sectors, the teachers, businesswomen, scientists, doctors, self employed, engineers, house makers etc…

A day to celebrate, to remember and to reflect…

Thanks to all the mothers, grandmothers sisters, daughters partners and friends. The Mairam* and Ummo*.

Darfur Union in the UK Commemorates the 9th Anniversary of Bashir Indictment by International Criminal Court (ICC) in Leicester

In spite of the freezing weather and difficulty with travels and for the third successive year, Darfur Union in the UK, among other civil society organisations, has commemorated the 4th March date. This year, it marked the 9th anniversary of Bashir indictment by International Criminal Court (ICC). The event was held on Saturday 3rd March 2018 at the Darfur Association Venue in Leicester.

In memory of the victims of :

1. The ongoing genocide in Darfur

2. The ongoing Bashir war in Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile and beyond

3. Enforced displacement – IDP and refugees.

4. Demographic changes in the region

Change is going to come and eventually justice will prevail

The presenters of the day were young Sudanese from Leicester. This did pump more energy into the event as they were creative with their words and open mic skills. The opening session included reciting of poems about being away from home, the suffering of our people, living under dictatorship in Sudan, and how justice will always prevail by keeping positive and by having the will to fight injustice. Other participants and attendees were from across the UK, representatives of Civil Societies Organisations such as Darfur Women of Leicester, Sudanese Citizen Organisation, Sudanese Youth of Manchester, and Sudan Civil Disobedience in the UK plus political bodies such as Sudan Communist Party and others.

Speakers from Darfur Unions in the UK focused on the significance of the day by mentioning that the 4th March does represent an important date for the people in Sudan in general and those in Darfur in particular. It marks the beginning of long lost justice. Elsadig Elnor, the Chairman of the Union took the audience on a quick rundown the memory lane by talking about the famous press conference in La Hague, 8 years ago, where Luis Ocampo, the former general prosecutor of the ICC, announced that his team have enough evidence to prosecute Omer Bashir, the sitting president of Sudan, for crimes committed under his commands, that counts for the following:

5 counts for crimes against humanity

2 counts of war crimes

3 counts of genocide

The gathering of evidence of above mentioned crimes were concluded by the 12th July 2010, under the statue of Rome. Two warrants of arrest issued by the Pre Trial Chamber are out there, and the perpetrator (Bashir) is at large.

Since then, several light attempts were put in place to arrest Bashir, in Kenya, Nigeria and the last one was in South Africa, June 2015. During Bashir visit to participate in AU summit, an interim order was made by the high court in Pretoria, barring President Bashir from leaving South Africa, after civil organisations called for his arrest on the basis of an ICC warrant. Bashir managed to escape after the executive bodies failed to conduct the judiciary orders. This came as an embarrassment to SA government and as a huge disappointment to the people of Sudan in Darfur, and justice advocates around the world. Nonetheless, the ICC prosecution case against Bashir has proved to be a source of uncomfort to the perpetrator and his government, and it is a source of inspiration for the people of the region. Since the indictment, Bashir and his militias have waged a viscous war in Darfur, and also extended their genocide plans to the regions of Nuba Mountains and Blue Niles.

Other speakers from the Union, including Abdelmajid Suliman, Secretary of the Humanitarian Affairs and his deputy Ahmed Issa, talked about the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the IDP camps and how the international community is turning a blind eye on Bashir crimes in Darfur and beyond and how the numbers of new IDP have rocketing exponentially after the escalation of violence over the 2016 and the first quarter of 2017.

Another aspect of Bashir crimes which was covered at the event by Issa was the demographic changes in the region. New settlers were brought by the government and they were given the lands of the displayed people. The overall goal from this act plus the conversions of the IDP camps into villages/ mini towns is to diminish the evidence of the crimes committed over the years by the government of Sudan.

This has happened a few months ago in the village of Kuguli (see ref. 1), North Darfur, where new settlers were brought to the area and they were given the leadership of the locality on September the 1st 2016. This council was run over the years by the natives from African tribes. The Speakers at the events emphasise on the importance of documenting such crimes for evidence against the perpetrators.

Darfur Union in the UK members has also discussed the Darfur Report 2017-2018:- Will 2018 Brings a Renewed Hope for Peace in Sudan under Bashir? Thus far… Darfur Begs to Differ.

The calendar year 2017-2018 was christened and ended with waves of violence and aggression by the government of Sudan against the civilians across the country, in the capital, major cities, towns, localities and villages. Before getting into the listing of atrocities and the failures of the international community to apply pressure on Bashir regime, one has to talk about the way the government of Sudan (GoS) reacted to the peaceful demos across the country on the wake of the ongoing economic turmoil in Sudan. GoS ordered the troops to use excessive force to dismantle the Demos accords Sudan.

An open questions and answers session took place at the end of the event, which involved executive members of the Darfur Union giving advice to the new arrival and ways to integrate into society.

The day was concluded with an open mic session for all to share their stories, memories, comments and way forwards. The event was also a good opportunity for the union to know the community of Leicester and also a chance for the members to tell audience about the help/ service that Darfur Union can offers.

Letters to the UN Secretary General and UK Prime Minister were signed by representatives of all organisations which attended the event and also countersigned by other sister organisations and friend of Darfur/Sudan across the globe. The letters will be sent/ delivered to both parties as part of Darfur Union campaign with regards to significance of the 4th March to our people.

We hope that the human crisis will end soon and justice will prevail by seeing Bashir behind bars, then NEVER AGAIN will be a reality.